4th Sunday of Advent Hail Mary Full of Grace The Lord is with YOU!! Here I am the servant of the Lord.   Be it done to me according to Your Word! During this last week before Christmas our thoughts go out to Mary – to what this startling change in her life must have been for her. So let us look at Mary, this young woman – let us listen to her – let us look into her heart. Mary must have been startled by the sudden vision of an angel before her, (was she doing her daily chores, was she at prayer?  – we are not put into that picture). “The Lord is with you”.  We are told the Mary was perplexed (bewildered? afraid?)  The angel reassured her “Do not be afraid”!  There was more to come.  “You will conceive in your womb and bear a Son and you will name Him Jesus.”  That message alone must have filled her with very mixed emotions. Let us now listen to Mary as she queried “How can this be since I am a virgin?”  … and the angel’s reply “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  Therefore, the child to be born will be holy, he will be called the Son of God.”  What an overwhelming statement!  But Mary had listened to the Prophets – and those words spoken by the Angel brought with them the great gifts of understanding
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